Implement for digging and gathering potatoes.



No. e5s,|s6. Patented July' 3, |900. A.4 nAMBAcHEn.

IMPLEMENT FR DIGGING AND GATHEBING PTATES.

(Application led May 26,V 1899.) (No Model.) y 3 Sheets-Sheet I.

No. s53,|36. l Patented 1u|y 3, |900.

A. nAMBAcHEn.

IMPLEMENT FOR DIGGING vAND GATHERING POTATUES.

(Application tiled May 26, 1899.\

(No Modell) 3 Sheets -Sheet 2.

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, l N l I v Q I I @www Emu/nlm TH: naam: prans ca, PHuToLITNn.. WASHINGTON. la c,

N0. B53,|36. Patented lllly 3, |900.

A; DAMBACHER.

' IMPLEMENT FUR DIIGlNGVAND v(A'THlEHlIWl'i POTATUES.

(Application led May 26, 1899.) (No Model.) 3 Shpets-$heet 3.

`PA'T'niyT Critics..

yANTON DAMBAoHER-,il on MUNICH, GERMANY.

IMPLEMENT FOR DIGGING AND GATHERING POTATOES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 653,136, dated July 3, 1900. Application inea May 26, 1899. serial Naviasev. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ANTON DAMBACHER, a subject of the King of Wrtemberg, residing at Munich, in the Kingdom of Bavaria, in the German Empire, have invented new and useful Improvements in Implements for Digging.

and Gathering Potatoes,- of which the fllowing is a specification.

The subject of the present invention is an implement for digging andgathering'potatoes` after the plants have been removed by the cutter.

The essential feature of the invention is the.` and arrangement of a digger or lifter-wheel which digs up the com-v peculiar construction plete rows of potatoes-'that is, lifts up the soil, together with the potatoes lying init, and throws it npon asieve. This sieve is constructed onl y of longitudinal staves, through which an .elevator-rake passes. The tubers are here sorted from the soil and after being passed undera roller-brush are conducted'toa collector-box at the rear part of the imple-4 ment.

The accompanying drawings illustrate one l form of construction of Figure l is a vertical section, and-Fig. 2 a plan view. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the digger or lifter-wheel drawn to an enlarged scale. of the wings being omitted to better show the construction.

The Whole implement is arranged on a framework d, which is carried by the axis of the two running and transport wheels ct and is steered by the frontwh'eels b; The lifterwheel c is mounted so as to rotate between the two longitudinal bars h. These latter are connected to the framework d by-means of the hanger-bracketsfand axle'g in such manner that the front end of the bars h'canbe raised or lowered, as desired, by means of a locking-crank il and chains 7c.' In this manner the lifter-wheel c can be given any desired vertical position during the work or may be raised into the position shown in Fig. l when the machine is to be transported. Z Z are two guide and adjustment posts, by means of the new implement.

which the position of bars h with lifter-wheel c relatively to the framework d may be controlled. The lifter-wheel c has eight double arms m, Figs. 3 and 4, provided with springs Fig. 4 is a plan view of this wheel, one

adjustably arranged so as to slide in the cases n. -The'wheel c is thus given a certain amount of elasticity when workin g. The ,double'arms m carry the hoes or litters o, which raise the soil containingthe tubers, and the'flapsp, which open and close during work. .These flaps close just before entering the soil and open againshortly after leaving it, allowing th en both soil and tubers to drop upon the sieve q.- Here the -elevator-rakes r separate the tubers from the soil and conduct them under a roller-brush e to the collectorboX s.

`The opening and closing of each flap p is effected by means of a slide t and lever u. The latter strikes against the roller-disks o,

Aand in passing them is operated so as to rst open and then 'close the iiap. For the sake of clearness of the drawings the disks o are shown by dotted lines in Fig. l, and in Fig. 2 only the two horizontal arms for opening and closing the aps are shown. The iiaps close while passing from the horizontal position to the vertical down position of the arms m and open on moving upward again to the horizontal position. In Fig. 3 the liap P is shown as just closed, while the flap P2 is just commencing to open. In order that the opening maynot take place too suddenly and in order to better distribute the soil lifted up, spring sheet-metal plates w are provided behind the iiaps p, against which plates the slides i abut. The spiral springs arranged around the double arms m inside the cases n are for the purpose of imparting elasticity to the arms and lifters, so that they may not rigidly oppose any large obstacle, such as stones or' the like.

The implement is driven by means of the chain-wheel y, mounted on the axle Figs. l and 2, which transmits the motion both to the lifter-wheel and to the elevator-takes. Above the collector-box s is the roller-brush e, which removes any soil that may be clinging to the potatoes.

When the machine is to be transported, the whole mechanism is brought outof action by disengaging the clutch e, Fig. 2, by means of the lever e', and the lifter-wheel, as already mentioned, raised by means of the adjustment-posts Z l.

In order to facilitate the work of the lifter- IOO wheel and elevator, it will be found advantageous to provide a plowshare P between the lifter-wheel and the elevator, as shown in Fig. 1.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. An implement for digging and gathering potatoes, comprising a framework mounted on wheels, a potato lifter-Wheel c, capable of being raised and lowered, mounted on an axle, gearing for driving said axle from the main axle, meansfor releasing such gearing from operation, the said lifter-wheel consisting of central cases n, spring-arms m and peripheral lifters o, slides t, hinged flaps p and levers u, disks U, a collector s, and means for conveying the potatoes from the lifter-wheel to said collector, all substantially as described.

2. Animplement for digging and gathering potatoes, comprisingaframework d, mounted on wheels, a frame h, suspension means t' 7c for said frame, guide and adjustment means Z, a potato lifter-wheel c mounted on an axle carried by said frame h, gearing for driving said axle from the main axle, said lifterwheel consisting of central cases n, springarms m and peripheral litters o, slides t, hinged ilaps p and levers u, disks@ mounted on said frame h, a sieve q and elevator rake device r,'a roller-brush a mounted on said f framework d, a collector-box s, gearing for driving said devices r a from the main axle, and suitable mechanism e e' for disengaging said gearing from the traveling wheels a, substantially as described.

3. In an implement for digging and gathering potatoes, a lifter-wheel c, comprising central cases fn, spring-arms m and peripheral litters o, slides t, hinged ilaps p and levers u,

all substantially as and for the purposes here- Y inbefore set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ANTON DAMBACHER.

Witnesses:

EMIL HENZEL, FRANZ HEPP. 

